07/11/2024
EQUIPMENT IN THE HOME
Dear Jennifer,
Please help me, I am new to this. I have invited my mother to move in with my husband and me. She is coming here in about a month. Do you have any suggestions for what I should have at the house to help care for her? She uses and walker and has one. She gets around pretty good. She hasn’t fallen or anything. She wears Depends. She has glasses and wears hearing aids.
Anything you can recommend?
Thank you,
Melinda
Dear Melinda,
That is a BIG question with many recommendations depending on the situation. (I don’t have enough information).
Call her primary care doctor. Ask if s/he can request a home care visit for physical therapy and a home assessment.
Here are general recommendations regarding equipment to get you started.
BEFORE YOU BUY:
- Call your insurance company about coverage of equipment expenses and how to get reimbursed.
GRAB BARS:
- Wherever she needs to step down or up. This could be just outside the front door to step in (along with a handrail to get up the steps). It could also be outside the garage door to navigate steps there as well.
- Shower
- Toilet
TROUBLE ON/OFF TOILET:
- Elevated toilet seat and/or
- Commode. TIP: Keep a little layer of water and nice smelling cleaning product in the commode to keep the area smelling fresh and to make p**p cleanup easier.
TROUBLE STANDING TO TAKE A SHOWER:
- Obtain a shower chair. A supply company can help you pick out the best one for your shower configuration.
ABOUT STAIRS:
- If she is unsafe, consider a ramp outside the house, and a chair glide device to go to/from the second floor.
- Be sure to salt the walkways outdoors in the winter.
WHEELCHAIRS:
- If walking distances is too difficult, obtain a transfer wheelchair (these are more compact and lighter for lifting in/out of the vehicle trunk.
VITAL SIGN EQUIPMENT:
- I recommend you purchase a digital blood pressure machine, a digital thermometer, and an oximeter (the clip put on your finger to test oxygen levels). This allows you to obtain vital signs as needed in any situation.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer